Warren Thompson

Although this particular number in the long-running series, which concentrates on the doings of the 18th Fighter Bomber Group, has its virtues, I still felt a little unsatisfied. In particular, by this relatively late date (2015), one might think that a little more might be said about the South Korean pilots who served in the war. Perhaps these men are still veiled in secrecy to protect family in North Korea but some authorial comment on their attempts to research the question would have show more been appreciated. show less

In my experience Warren Thompson has been nothing but reliable writing for Osprey in regards to early jet fighters, and this booklet is no exception. To a large degree he's letting the F-80 pilots speak for themselves, and concentrates on the rotation and deployment of the USAF squadrons that used the Shooting Star through the conflict. A particular plus here is that most of the photos used are in color. For the reader who is interested in the period this booklet would be well-worth having.

Typical Osprey fare, but with a great deal of memoir quotes. Art is excellent and I was very impressed to learn about how many American's served in Mosquitos and Beaufighters for the RAF.

The first aircraft to be purposely designed as a radar-equipped nightfigher, Northrop's P-61 Black Widow was heavily influenced by early RAF combat experience with radar-equipped aircraft in the years 1940/41 of World War II (1939-1945). Built essentially around the bulky Radiation Laboratory SCR-720 radar, which was mounted in the aircraft's nose, the P-61 proved to be the largest fighter ever produced for frontline service by the USAAF. Twin-engined and twin-boomed, the Black Widow was show more armed with a dorsal barbette of four 0.50-in Browning machine guns and two ventrally-mounted 20 mm cannon. This volume features all the frontline users of the mighty P-61, and includes many first-hand accounts from pilots and gunners who saw action in the Pacific, Mediterranean and Western Europe. show less